Relocation adds exhibit space and a meeting room for community events and history programs.
Plant City History & Photo Archives has opened the doors to its new home in the Lee Building, located at 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100, giving the longtime local history organization expanded exhibit space, improved archival storage, and a new meeting room designed to bring the community together around local history.
The nonprofit organization has preserved more than one hundred thousand historic photographs and books documenting the city’s past.
Visitors will notice several changes right away. The new location features updated displays and design elements, a large conference table for viewing its sizable library, and a bank of computers for researching online material. Also in the Lee Building is an exhibit of historic cameras used by Gladys Jeffcoat, and photos of hers and Bill Friend, Plant City’s pioneering photographers.
“We’ve made some changes to make the archives look more historic and beautiful,” said Libby Hopkins, director of the archives.
One of the biggest additions is a dedicated meeting and event space called The Plant Room, which can be used as exhibit space or converted for lectures, workshops, presentations, and community gatherings. “The Plant Room is separate from the main archives area, allowing events to take place without interrupting daily operations or access to exhibits and research materials,” said Ed Verner, founder of the Plant City History & Photo Archives.
The space itself blends historic character with modern functionality. Once used as an event venue in the early 2000s, The Plant Room features tall ceilings, historic tile floors, and exposed brick walls, with no interior support poles, creating an open layout for events.
Recent upgrades include new bathrooms, a back alley access point that allows catered food to be delivered discreetly, making setup and cleanup easier without disrupting archive operations. The space also includes a dedicated prep area with a sink and full-size refrigerator for food service or event staging.
The Plant City History & Photo Archives is open Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and, beginning in May, the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Hopkins said community involvement remains at the heart of the archives’ mission.
“We work with the community to preserve local history for future generations,” she said. “The community is a big part of what we do because they’re often the ones bringing us historical photos they discover.”
Sometimes those discoveries come from unexpected places.
Hopkins recalled a couple who were cleaning out their grandmother’s attic and found a chest containing promotional photographs connected to the Titanic.
“They were shot before Titanic sailed,” Hopkins said. “They brought them to us, and we were able to scan them. There’s always some kind of hidden gem that’s brought to us.”
The archives also serves as a place where residents can uncover their own family history.
Shannon Keil, a Plant City native whose roots go back five generations, attended a celebration of life held at the archives for her grandmother, who passed away in January. She and her grandchildren began searching through historical records and discovered a book written by an extended family member. Her grandchildren were surprised to see their family name in the collection. “They talked about how cool it was to see names of their family members while celebrating her grandmother,” she said.
Stories like that are exactly what Hopkins hopes the new space will encourage- opportunities for residents to connect with the people, places, and moments that shaped the city.
For more information about the Plant City History & Photo Archives, visit plantcityphotoarchives.org or call 813-754-1578.
